Demography
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1659 | 16,914 | — |
| 1821 | 208,089 | +1130.3% |
| 1831 | 258,322 | +24.1% |
| 1841 | 286,394 | +10.9% |
| 1851 | 212,440 | −25.8% |
| 1861 | 166,305 | −21.7% |
| 1871 | 147,864 | −11.1% |
| 1881 | 141,457 | −4.3% |
| 1891 | 124,483 | −12.0% |
| 1901 | 112,334 | −9.8% |
| 1911 | 104,232 | −7.2% |
| 1926 | 95,064 | −8.8% |
| 1936 | 89,879 | −5.5% |
| 1946 | 85,064 | −5.4% |
| 1951 | 81,329 | −4.4% |
| 1956 | 77,176 | −5.1% |
| 1961 | 73,702 | −4.5% |
| 1966 | 73,597 | −0.1% |
| 1971 | 75,008 | +1.9% |
| 1979 | 84,919 | +13.2% |
| 1981 | 87,567 | +3.1% |
| 1986 | 91,344 | +4.3% |
| 1991 | 90,918 | −0.5% |
| 1996 | 94,006 | +3.4% |
| 2002 | 103,277 | +9.9% |
| 2006 | 110,950 | +7.4% |
| 2011 | 117,196 | +5.6% |
The population of Clare accounted for 117,196 people at the most recent census in 2011. The main urban areas are Ennis with a population of 25,360 and Shannon with 9,673. The demographic profile for Clare in general is fairly young: 22% are under age 14, while 12% are over 65, compared to the national average of 20% and 11%, respectively. There is a slightly higher percentage of males with 50.5%, while females number 49.5%.
English is the main language spoken in Clare. The vast majority of the population are Irish people, accounting for 86%;. Most immigrants are Europeans totaling an additional 7,520; there is also a small African minority of 1,124 people while other groups are very small in number.
In addition to this there is a large Clare diaspora due to vast migration during the 19th century. There are millions of people around the world who can trace their family background to Clare; these are mostly present in North America, Great Britain, Australia, South Africa, Argentina and New Zealand. While this has stunted the population growth in a significant way, in the modern day it has meant that many people visit the area to trace their family roots and background. Most of the names in Clare are derived from septs of the Dalcassian race of Gaels; some of the most common examples are O'Brien, O'Dea, McMahon, McNamara, McGarry, Moloney, O'Grady, Hogan, Considine and Lynch. There are also some names of assimilated Norman origin such as Burke, Dalton, Comyn and Bonfield.
Read more about this topic: County Clare